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Although a finalized county budget is at least four months away, it's already apparent that the county commissioners are going to be faced with a significant increase request from the school system.
At least that's the preliminary indications which seem to indicate that the school board is likely to request an increase of at least $1,065,000 in the coming year -- and that's before the school board finishes refining its wish list.

LOUISBURG -- There have been many barriers to development in northeastern Franklin County.
Right now, though, Franklin County government, regional government leaders, state resources and a community action group have set their sights on overcoming a primary culprit -- inconsistent or nonexistent broadband service.

LOUISBURG -- The election filing period ended Wednesday, promising some local, state and federal races this spring and fall.
Most notably, incumbent Sheriff Kent Winstead has filed to seek the Democratic party's nomination in the May primary.
Former sheriff Jerry Jones has filed for the Republican party's nomination.

FRANKLINTON -- Commissioners had roads on their minds last week -- from figuring out a way to pave all of them, to naming one of them after a world icon.
It was part of a wide-ranging discussion that touched on topics from public works to law enforcement during the town's recent two-day retreat.
Back in the spring of 2015, commissioners adopted an honorary street naming policy that allows the erection of a sign on a street recognizing a person or group -- not an official road name change for address purposes.

LOUISBURG -- Prosecutors won't seek the death penalty against a man accused of killing his 83-year-old father.
John Lawrence Morgan appeared in Franklin County Superior Court on Monday to take part in a Rule 24 Hearing where prosecutors inform the court whether or not they'll pursue a capital case.

Megan Funk, architectural historian with Commonwealth Heritage Group (CHG) of Tarboro, will present the results of the final phase of the comprehensive architectural survey of Franklin County at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, in the Benson Chapel on the Louisburg College campus.
The comprehensive architectural survey began in 2015 with a reconnaissance survey of much of Franklin County's historic architecture outside the municipalities of Louisburg, Franklinton, and Youngsville.

Farmers Market Manager Pat Walker

With February in our rear-view mirror and a mere 10 days left until the time leaps ahead to "spring time" on March 11, a lot of Franklin County folks are taking aim at yard work, getting the garden ready and even planting a few things in anticipation of spring and much-nicer weather.
Around our house, we've already fired up the grill a few times and spent last weekend figuring out how to use a smoker that Santa dropped off late last year.

A story in last week's Franklin Times included one of the most depressing, troubling and disillusioning statements we've heard in Franklin County in a long while.
Here's that statement: "As I understand it," (John) Allers said. "This is to get us more in line with how the other county direct boards work.
"... This is just to get things so that there are spans of control and everyone knows that," he said.

By the time you see this, filing for the 2018 election will be complete, spring primary battles will be set and the general election in the fall will be on the horizon. We expect "spirited" campaigns on almost every level, from the sheriff's race, to battles for the General Assembly to Congress.
And, in the time leading up to the spring primary, this newspaper will do its best to let our readers know as much as they can about each candidate.

A flower display, and other memorials along the road, we have all seen them. You do not know the whole story, but the symbols tell you enough. Somewhere there are tears. A loved one will return home no more.
Are such memorials appropriate or even necessary; Are any of them for any reason?

Dear editor:
In regards to the Oct. 15 letter to the editor "Keep the peace and cleanup!" Thank you Delinder Brodie for sharing what you witnessed while following a trash truck hauling an empty open top container.

Dear editor:
A friend of mine told me that when he was in school, the boys carried their rifles and shotguns to school so that they could hunt after school.
Also, he said that a girl in his class brought her pistol to school for him to repair and gave it to him in the classroom.

Dear editor:
Just read your column "Work together, get something done." Good article, great facts, well written.
Except for one part. Doing nothing except advocating passive prayer isn't working, hasn't worked and there is no reason to ever hope that it will work in the future.

LOUISBURG - Robert Henry "Bob" Strother, Sr., 71, of Louisburg, passed away Sunday afternoon at his home.

LOUISBURG -- Overall talent isn't the only intangible on the upswing these days within the Louisburg College baseball program.
LC head coach Blake Herring also likes the increased tenacity and compete level of his club this spring.
The Hurricanes are off to a strong 9-3 start to the campaign, and six of those victories have come by two runs or less as LC -- unlike some of the recent seasons -- has found a way to win tight games.

BUNN - Butterball Cooke wasn't about to let her final chance to shine on the prep level slip away -- not after a pair of torn anterior cruciate ligament injuries temporarily derailed her girls basketball career at Bunn High School.
Finally cleared to play after missing the entire 2016-17 campaign, Cooke made the most of her senior year this winter while leading the Ladycats to a share of the Northern Carolina Conference regular season championship.

LOUISBURG -- Winning the Region X regular season championship once again met a little more this time around for the Louisburg College men's basketball squad.
Last year, LC secured the same fate and earned an automatic qualifier to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Tournament, where the Hurricanes finished in second place overall.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg High School just completed its fifth varsity swimming season -- and the Warriors and Lady Warriors continue to make significant strides in the pool.
LHS' girls took second place in the Northern Carolina Conference standings this winter, while the boys squad claimed fourth place overall under veteran head coach Erica Wammock.

FRANKLINTON -- There were a few pertinent questions heading into Franklinton's 2017-18 girls basketball season -- and those questions were answered in resounding fashion.
After long-time head coach Lester Wilder retired last spring, the Lady Rams were now going to be guided by Matthew Hockaday -- who had never been a varsity head coach before.

LOUISBURG -- Terrell Lane Middle School's tradition of perfection on the wrestling mat continued recently the MAC-10 Conference Tournament, which was held in early February at Butner-Stem Middle School in Granville County.
The Tornados finished off the regular season undefeated for the fourth consecutive year and looked to continue their streak as tournament champs over the same time period.

FRANKLINTON -- Even in a rare rebuilding year, there were a few bright moments this winter for the Franklinton High School boys basketball squad.
The Red Rams were coming off a strong campaign in 2016-17 in their final season in the Class 2-A Northern Carolina Conference.
Now in the Class 3-A Big East Conference, Franklinton would have to compete with a young team following the graduation of a talented senior class.

GREENVILLE -- Bunn native Spencer Brickhouse has wasted no time getting hot with the bat to begin the 2018 baseball season at East Carolina University.
Brickhouse, a sophomore, is batting .321 through seven games -- six of which have been won by the 18th-ranked Pirates.
Brickhouse, a left-handed hitting slugger, has also delivered team highs in home runs (three), RBI (10), slugging percentage (.679) and total bases (19).

DURHAM -- The Durham Bulls will host their 2018 Fan Fest this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to kick off the 2018 campaign at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The free event provides fans a chance to take batting practice on the field, purchase single-game tickets for the 2018 season and take photos with the team's 2017 Triple-A National Championship and Governors' Cup trophies.

Louisburg College third baseman Tucker Rogers (right) tries to sell a tag to the umpire during last Wednesday's home contest against Bryant and Stratton College.

Arbor Day in North Carolina will be March 16. Take time to celebrate by planting a tree. Trees are a wonderful addition to any landscape not only by providing an aesthetic complement but by increasing the quality of life and improving overall health. Since trees are such a large visible addition to the landscape, care must be taken to ensure proper growth and development.

Clyde and Sharon Waiden of Franklinton celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018. They were married on Feb. 25, 1968 at Franklinton Baptist Church.

FRANKLINTON -- Principals were asked to contact parents this week, asking them to review the school system's code of conduct policy in light of school violence issues that have dominated news headlines.
The decision also comes on the heels of an isolated threat at Franklinton Middle School that administrators said didn't put the student body or community at-large in danger.

The Bunn High Class of 1961 recently held a class reunion at Joe's Place near Lake Royale.

HENDERSON -- A group of students from Vance-Granville Community College, including one from Louisburg, recently received scholarships through the Golden LEAF Scholarship program for the North Carolina Community College System.

One of Franklin County's youngest farmers, Bryant Nelms, a third-grader at Laurel Mill Elementary School, was presented "The First Pumpkin to the Pie" contest prize recently at a Franklin County Board of Education meeting. The contest, supported by Franklin County Farm Bureau and the county's Cooperative Extension Service, is designed to teach youngsters a little about where their food comes from and, hopefully, entice in them an interest in agriculture.

LOUISBURG -- "Keep on keeping on," could have been the unofficial theme of Louisburg's first budget meeting of 2018.
The meeting is an annual tradition in town and allows officials to meet around a table and reveal their "wish lists" for the fiscal year which begins July 1.
There were no surprises unveiled at the meeting, although an unofficial straw poll indicated there is no support for expanding the hours of the Sunday sales of alcoholic beverages.

Louisburg firefighters extinguished this truck fire Tuesday morning on Bickett Boulevard. Officials said the blaze was caused by an electrical issue on the Norlina farming truck. No injuries were reported.

Farm Bureau agent Wayne Champion was recently named Master Agent by NC Farm Bureau for the seventh consecutive year. The Master Agent award was designed to recognize outstanding sales, customer service, and teamwork by an agent. This award is given to fewer than 10 percent of the agents in the state; the Franklin County Farm Bureau staff is extremely proud of Wayne and his accomplishment.